From Fossils to Foundations: How 50,000 Tasmanians Can Power a New Economy

This article proposes a bold, community-led alternative to Tasmania’s energy future. Instead of pursuing extractive, investor-driven projects, Dr. Emily Samuels Ballantyne calls for the creation of a Tasmanian Foundational Fund, a $1 billion public interest fund sourced voluntarily from local superannuation. This fund would invest in regenerative infrastructure: locally governed renewable energy, affordable housing, regional food systems, and care hubs.

Grounded in economic data and inspired by Tasmania’s history of public ownership, the piece argues that care, place, and energy must form the core of a just economy. Island Almanac invites Tasmanians to reclaim their agency and transform the island into the Living Heart of a Regenerative Commonwealth, not the Battery of the Nation.

Artwork: Regen Era Design Studio